Scaffold



y 1968 C. A. CATAPANO 3,390,741

SCAFFOLD Filed March 14, 1967 United States Patent 3,390,741 SCAFFOLD Charles A. Catapano, 52 Magnolia Lane, Jericho, N.Y. 11753 Filed Mar. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 623,025 Claims. (Cl. 182-224) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In abstract form, this invention relates to a scaffold as used by building contractors. This scaffold is used in conjunction with wooden planks. The planks may be keyed to the scaffold to produce a shelf locking of the planks. Also the wooden planks may be nailed to the scaffold. The scaffold accommodates both transversely and longitudinally disposed planks.

This invention is illustrated by a plurality of specific embodiments but is not limited thereto since it is of basic or generic scope. This invention is shown in the accompanying drawing in which,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, broken away in part, showing a pair of parallel spaced apart tubes adapted to receive builders plank therebetween, welded in an aperture of a base plate and separated by a plurality of uniformly spaced apart shelves adapted to receive an edge of a wooden plank, said tubes each having spaced apart nail receiving apertures.

FIG. 2 is a full length front view of a scaffold of about six feet high having a base plate Welded to both the top and to the bottom of the parallel tubes and showing in dotted outline optional wheels disposed beneath the bottom plate to permit rolling movement of the scaffold.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the scaffold of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a detail view showing the manner of nesting one scaffold on top of another by the use of a pair of nesting pins disposed in the pair of tubes.

FIG. 5 is a side view of bridge modification of the scaffold to form a walk-through scaffold.

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the scaffold showing use of the flat shelves welded to a pair of spaced apart tubes and FIG. 7 is a top plan view of a modified scaffold using a pair of angle iron shelves of L-shaped cross section welded to the upright parallel tubes.

The prior art employs scaffolds having a large number of separate and specifically designed units in order to build an overall scaffold structure.

This invention is featured by its simplicity and it uses the planks common to all building construction as a means of obtaining versatility in the use of the scaffold.

Thus the planks may be arranged or raised on the assembled overall scaffold structure to permit workman to work on different levels.

Turning to the drawing, a pair of suitable diameter tubes 10, preferably of steel but aluminum and magnesium alloy tubes are operable are set into receiving apertures 11 of a base plate 12 and are welded thereto by welding 13. The base plate 12 is provided with apertures 14 for receiving casters 15, if desired to give mobility to the structure.

The tubes are provided with circumferentially disposed nail holes disposed at 90 degrees. A plurality of shelves 16 made from suitable flat steel plate and cut in opposing relationship to fit the opposite tubes 10, are welded by welding 13 (FIG. 6) to opposing tubes 10 at ice about one foot spaced apart intervals. This interval height may be varied as desired.

In order to secure the wooden planks to the scaffold, conventional double headed nails 30 are used because of the ease of removing them. The nails 30 are passed through diametrically opposed apertures 17 into a wooden plank 18.

In lieu of flat plate shelves 16, a pair of angle iron L- shaped shelves 20 may be used, said shelves 16 and 20 being suitably wide to receive an edge of a builders plank 18.

A pair of parallel tube scaffolds may be connected by suitable tubing to form an overall walk-through scaffold 22 (FIG. 5 To form such a scaffold, two transverse tubes 23 suitably cut at their ends to receive the respective tube 10, are welded to the two opposing scaffolds of parallel construction. Next four suitably end cut braces 24 are welded to the respective tubes 23 and 10 to form an integral bridge with the two exteriorly disposed scaffolds.

As shown in FIG. 4, the use of rod like conventional scaffold connector pins 25, having a conventional centrally disposed collar 26 and opposing studs adapted to be disposed within tubes 10- in close fitting relationship, permits the addition of the one scaffold unit on top of another to form an overall rigid structure of great height.

The scafiolds of this invention may, if desired, be provided with angle iron shelves 20 on one side only. Also the scaffold itself may be varied within extensive limits, for example from two feet or so to ten feet or more.

Moreover, other shelves besides those illustrated may be used. The top plate 12 may be omitted if desired. Solid rods may be used in lieu of tubes 10.

A feature of this invention is that plank 18 inserted between parallel tubes fit in a close locked manner (FIG. 2), so that the planks are keyed in place. In this invention the shelves carry the weight of the planks and distribute this weight evenly to both tubes 10 of a scaffold. The nails are used merely to prevent displacement of the planks and carry no weight.

I claim:

1. A scaffold comprising a parallel pair of spaced apart longitudinally vertically disposed elements adapted to receive planks therebetween and adjacent thereto, a plurality of suitably spaced apart transversely disposed shelves secured at a right angle thereto and extending outwardly at both sides of said parallel elements for supporting said planks and a base plate secured to the bottom of said parallel elements.

2. The scaffold of claim 1 having a plurality of nail receiving apertures in said parallel elements.

3. The scaffold of claim 2 wherein the parallel elements are metal tubes of suitable diameter.

4. The scaffold of claim 3 wherein the shelves are flat metal plates suitably cut to engage opposing tubes and are welded thereto.

5. The scaffold of claim 3 wherein the shelves are angle iron L-shaped elements welded to the parallel tubes.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 835,059 11/1906 Curley 182-179 2,308,832 1/1943 Roney et al. 182-478 2,632,676 3/1953 Everett 182179 2,739,847 3/1956 Webb 182179 REINALD P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

